Owen Farrell ticket for England match sold on Viagogo sparks inquiry

The RFU said: 'We are satisfied that Owen Farrell did nothing untoward intentionally and had no knowledge of this sale' after a ticket allocated to him was sold on a website. Photograph: Kieran Galvin/EPA

While it is understood that Farrell did not act erroneously and has not profited from the sale, the Rugby Football Union is seeking an explanation over how the ticket came to appear on Viagogo.

The English game's governing body takes a dim view of tickets being sold by third parties and launched a crackdown on black-market sales in 2009.

"We are satisfied that Owen Farrell did nothing untoward intentionally and had no knowledge of this sale," an RFU spokesman said.

"We are looking at how this ticket came to be available on a secondary ticketing site, something we take extremely seriously."

Farrell could have his ticket allocation suspended or receive an official warning. It is thought that he gave the ticket to a friend in good faith though the RFU may decide that ultimate responsibility for the ticket rests with the fly-half.

The England flanker James Haskell had his allocation suspended for three matches following a similar incident five years ago.

As a result of the same clampdown on the resale of matchday tickets at Twickenham, the RFU also punished clubs and individuals.

In 2012 the RFU secured a landmark judgment in its long-standing dispute with Viagogo, one of the biggest secondary ticket brokers, following an 18-month legal battle. It defeated Viagogo in the supreme court on the issue of ownership of ticketing rights, policy and pricing.